Al Aruk Giftun

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El Aruk is a collective name for various dive sites. Chamsa, El Aruk, El Aruk Giftun, and El Aruk Gigi are the most popular.

Aruk is the Arabic word for erg, and as this location is covered with many ergs, we can deduce that this is the most appropriate name for the several dive sites in the area.

As it is made up of a variety of erg, it looks like a colony of mushrooms.

Let us describe a little bit El Aruk Giftun.

This dive site is located near Giftun Island in the open sea and is about 45 to 75 minutes from Hurghada, depending on where you start your boat trip. If you want to dive here than favorable weather conditions should be applied.

At El Aruk Giftun, there are 7 ergs you can explore while diving. All the ergs can be found on a sandy plateau at about 12 meters depth until they touch the surface of the sea.

One of the ergs has a cave that is filled with glassfish and scorpionfish.

The dive route you will take, depends mainly on the mooring point you will anchor the boat. But as El Aruk Giftun is considered to be a tricky dive site, it is good to choose one of the central ergs as a reference point at the beginning of your dive.

The marine life that can be spotted at El Aruk Giftun consists of scorpionfish, several kinds of rays, napoleons, and Anthias at every erg. The ergs are also home to many bassets, goatfish, clownfish, butterflyfish, bannerfish and all kinds of groupers. Moray eels and stingrays can also be found on the bottom of the ergs.

The most beautiful and colorful inhabitants and corals are near the surface of the water.

Be careful at this dive site, you can easily get lost because all the ergs look the same. So it is better to have a compass when diving El Aruk Giftun. So if you are a novice diver, it is better to dive here with an experienced diver knowing the site (like us for instance).

The superb El Aruk Giftun still is attracting many divers, despite the difficulties concerning navigation.